Chapter 12: Deadline

As one of the most powerful subspecies of goblins, hobgoblins possess the same wicked nature as their cousins and typically appear as the leaders of goblin tribes.

Under such circumstances, the Adventurers' Guild naturally included this monster on their bounty list, offering a decent reward due to its strength, which far exceeds that of low-level adventurers—

10 gold coins.

This is not a large sum.

But if one adds the loot obtained from clearing out an entire goblin tribe along the way, the harvest could barely be called substantial.

The hobgoblin encountered by the "Smelly Fish and Rotten Shrimp" squad had clearly just left its tribe, as it hadn't even managed to equip its underlings properly.

Even counting the dozen or so goblins ambushed yesterday, the only weapon in the entire tribe worth any money was the mace in the hobgoblin's hand.

Xia Nan had picked it up to test it; it was a bit heavy even for his enhanced physique. Although it looked intimidating when swung, this weapon probably wasn't suitable for [Spinning Slash], so in all likelihood, it could only be sold to a blacksmith shop.

But fortunately.

Perhaps because this was his first time adventuring, he possessed a certain legendary "newbie luck."

On the hobgoblin's body, there existed something that low-level adventurers like them would usually only be able to see from afar through the glass windows of shops or auction houses—

That ochre-red energy shield.

In the vast majority of cases, hobgoblins do not possess the ability to cast spells.

Only a very small number of individuals, favored by the gods and known as "priests" within their tribes, can master a few primitive totem-like spells.

Clearly, "Hunk," the hobgoblin already decapitated by Xia Nan, was not such an existence.

Otherwise, the moment they reached the depths of the lair, the Smelly Fish and Rotten Shrimp squad would have been wiped out (at least, that’s what Maji said).

On the other hand, during the brief and intense battle just now, the hobgoblin had made no obvious movements to use a spell scroll.

Therefore, only one possibility remained.

A magic item!

And the facts proved this to be true.

Under Maji's guidance, Xia Nan found a ring in the hobgoblin's trouser pocket.

……

【Deadline】

Type: Ring

Grade: Fine (Green)

Effect

1. Deflection Field (Active/2nd Circle): Summons a chaotic force field to block the enemy's next physical attack for you.

Description

On the night before the deadline, Noel finally remembered the assignment his mentor had left him.

Note

"You know, my efficiency has always been high."

——Outstanding Graduate of the Star Sea Enchantment Academy · "Riemann" Mage Tower's Apprentice of the Year · Noel

……

The ring was entirely silver-white, seemingly no different from the ordinary silver rings on the hands of commoners.

But upon closer inspection, one could see a few inconspicuous patterns engraved on the inner wall, with ochre-red light occasionally flashing across its surface.

"That's it!" Seeing Xia Nan fish the 【Deadline】 out of the hobgoblin's pocket, Maji became instantly excited.

"This ring is definitely a magic item!"

The expression on his face was more vivid than anything Xia Nan had seen since joining the squad.

"And it deflected my [Precision Strike] so easily; the intensity is not low," he said with conviction. "It's definitely not some parlor trick; the enchantment on it is at least a 1st-circle spell."

Maji took the ring from Xia Nan's hand and examined it as if it were a priceless treasure, as if even the pain in his body had dissipated at that moment.

Xia Nan was not as excited as the other man, and he had no extra thoughts in his mind to begin with.

That was until he searched the cave again while Maji was studying the ring, and then proposed that they leave.

Xia Nan keenly noticed that the other man's expression seemed to change.

Maji's originally excited face suddenly cooled at a certain moment.

His gaze dropped to glance at his own nearly crippled right leg, then quickly retracted.

He put on a somewhat stiff, gentle smile again, and while pretending to be nonchalant, he returned the ring to Xia Nan with visible reluctance.

"It is time to leave. The smell of blood here is too strong; it's easy to attract other beasts."

He said so.

Xia Nan wasn't very old in his previous life, but he had spent nearly ten years in the workplace and had achieved some success.

He understood the most basic art of reading people.

Therefore, although he remained calm on the surface, he kept the change in Maji's expression in his heart.

……

Leaving the cave.

Maji was seriously injured and his movements were inconvenient;

Xia Nan was carrying a lot of loot, making it difficult to walk.

Therefore, the two did not move very fast.

Fortunately, the other man had the bonus of professional skills and knew the terrain well, keeping the team moving in the right direction.

And there was no longer a need to constantly change routes to track goblin traces as they had on the way in; they only needed to focus on heading out.

Thus, in just a day and a half, the two reached the outer edge of the forest.

And the atmosphere, which had been somewhat subtle, seemed to melt into the white mist in the air when faced with the high-pressure environment of the Mist Forest, which was filled with danger.

"Crunch."

Leather boots landed lightly on the fallen leaves, stepping on scattered branches on the ground and making a sound.

"There are more and more traces of humans nearby; we should be close to the edge of the forest." Maji leaned against a tree trunk, his nostrils flaring. "We'll be back in the city by tomorrow night at the latest."

"That's good."

Setting the heavy bundle on his back onto the ground, Xia Nan leaned the two-handed axe (from Gagut) he had been holding like a hiking stick against a nearby tree, while also unbuckling the mace tied to his waist.

"Day after day, nothing but wood and grass; my eyes are getting tired."

"Heh, you'll get used to it later," Maji replied with a smile, looking up at the sky. "It's getting late; let's set up camp."

The campfire was soon lit.

The two sat around the flames, eating the simple food they carried (a piece of hard black bread, a few slices of overly salty, unknown animal meat), chatting intermittently.

"How about it, have you decided?" Maji looked at Xia Nan opposite him with a sincere expression and invited him, "Do you want to join my squad?"

"Let's talk about it after we get back to the city. You should need to rest for a while, too."

Xia Nan glanced at the other man's bandaged right leg and replied.

"Haha, don't worry." Maji waved his hand, pretending to be magnanimous. "It's not like I haven't had worse injuries than this. Don't worry, a few more trips to the church and it'll be fine soon."

Xia Nan nodded without speaking.

"Alright, it's been a long day; it's hard on you to carry so much stuff."

Maji stood up with some difficulty and patted the dust off his pants.

"I'll go check the traps again, though we're close to the settlement, so there shouldn't be any danger. You can get a good rest today; leave the first half of the night to me."

Xia Nan watched the other man's back gradually disappear into the bushes, his eyes narrowing slightly.

(End of chapter)